Hatred of Life and Love
by DCIBanks.Fan
Summary: While Brooke's life is hanging the balance, another case has come to the teams doorstep. Being unsure weather Brooke will make it, Alan has to learn how to juggle family life and work. But as the team draw closer to the killer of their case, it becomes the clear that Brooke's hit and run driver is a familiar face, much closer to home, and a nightmare for everyone of the team...
1. Chapter 1

He stood in the kitchen with her. She had seen him earlier, and left the coffee shop after not wanting to hear anymore excuses,p and tales from him. So why had he turned up at her house? She turned away for a second, only to feel him grab the side of her head, before he smashed her into the wall, her skull crunching, before he chucked her to the ground, and he ran out the door towards his car, and drove off at speed.

Xxxxxxx

Alan woke up, feeling very uncomfortable after sleeping in the cramped hospital chair all night. He looked over at Brooke, who was laying still in her hospital bed, with various tubes threading all around, like multiple snakes; and the dreaded sound of the ventilator filled the silenced room. He then looked over at Annie, who had hold of Brooke's hand. She looked exhausted. She clearly hadn't slept at all. A couple of nurses came through, and stuck a syringe into Brooke's arm, taking yet another sample of blood. Once they'd gone, there was another knock at the door.

Alan reluctantly got up from the chair and took a quick glance at Annie and the battered and bruised Brooke. He opened the door and saw Helen standing there with flowers, a small teddy and a colourful silver balloon with 'Get well soon!' written on it.

"Helen, come in."

"How is she?" Helen quietly asked. Annie stood up reluctantly, so she could talk to Helen.

"I don't even know. Whenever they come in, all they say is a bunch of medical stuff. But I also don't ask, in case they will tell me something I don't want to hear..." Annie replied.

"Is she in a coma?"

"Yeah. She could wake up in a few days, or a few weeks, or...never." Alan told her. Annie stood still holding Brooke's bruised hand, filled with a large IV drip, hoping she would feel some movement, _like in all those dramatic Hollywood movies where everyone woke up feeling fine_ , she thought.

"Would you like a drink, you've got to keep your strength up." Alan nodded.

"Annie?" All she could do was shake her head, not taking her eyes away from Brooke. Helen walked out of the stuffy, cold room. Alan returned back to the chair, and sat down. A few moments passed before Helen returned.

"Alan, so sorry to bother you but we've got a major incident." A nurse walked in and started to note down Brooke's heart rate and pulse, then left.

"I can't leave her, something might happen. I'd never forgive myself if..." Alan held her close, trying to comfort her. He held her face, his eyes meeting hers.

"You stay, ring me if _anything_ happens. I'll try and get back as soon as." She nodded. He kissed the top of her head before leaving, closing the door quietly as he walked out.

"What's happened?" Alan questioned.

"SOCO's seem to think that it looks like domestic. The victim is a 38 year old female who has been identified as Louise Hunt. That's all we know right now." Helen informed him.

"Right, let's get heading over there."

Xxxxx

About 15 minutes later, Helen and Alan arrived at the house. Forensics were there, in their plastic white, sterile outfits, dusting for fingerprints and collecting important bits of evidence. Neighbours were looking, and the reflections of the blue siren lights were bouncing off the windows.

"Any idea of what happened?" Alan asked Ken.

"Neighbours next door heard some commotion, and saw a car driving off at a very high speed, only to find the victim laying on the ground in the middle of the hallway."

Alan froze as he saw flashbacks in his mind of what just happened to Brooke.

"Did you get the name of the neighbours or any other witnesses?" Alan asked.

Ken replied with, "Yes. They are Henry and Grace Greenman. They were watching Louise's children while she was getting some cleaning done."

"Right. Can you get them to come in to the station at three this afternoon? We can try to put together an e-fit and hopefully get a description of the car and the plate number."

Xxxxxx

In the back of Alan's mind as he searched the whole house for any clues or valuable evidence, was the question of if the two crimes were connected.

On his way out of the house, he saw a framed family portrait, bringing him back to when he first met Brooke. _Families,_ thought Alan. _So beautiful, yet so heart wrenching._

After the brief stop, he took note of the time and decided to finish up.

"Are you all done here with me here?"

Alan asked the forensic team, as he handed them sterile bags of possible important objects with DNA prints on them.

"Yes. We will email you the photos as we get through them," one of them replied.

"Okay. Let me know when you send the body off for the post-mortem. Helen, you and I will head back to the station, and interview Henry and Grace.

Xxxxxxx

Back at the station, the weeping Greenmans were taken into a room with Alan while Helen was dealing with the crime scene photos.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet us. This is very important, as I'm sure you know, so it's crucial that you answer everything as honestly as you can," Alan noted. The two nodded, showing they understood.

"Now can you remember the make of the car, maybe a registration plate?"

"Silver definitely, looked pretty new." Mr Greenman looked up.

"I'm not very good on car makes, but it was definitely the make with four circles." Helen noted it down.

"Did you happen to get a good look at the driver?" Helen asked.

"No, not really. He was wearing a dark blue jacket and jeans but I think that's all I remember. He ran off into his car very quickly and I couldn't get a good look," Mrs Greenman replied.

"There's a family photo, do you know the whereabouts of. Mrs Hunt's husband?"

"Yes, he's on a buisness trip in Rotterdam, but her stepson, he hasn't been seen in a long time."

"Okay, thank you for your time."

They stood up and left the room, ready to start this investigation.

Xxxxxxx


	2. Chapter 2

"The neighbours gave us a little bit of information, not much to go on. Now the husband is away at Rotterdam. Can we double check this, and also trace the stepson. We need to both their whereabouts and bring them in for questioning. Ken, what's happening with Skye and Molly Hunt?"

"Their FLO has finished talking with them, we are free to interview them."

"Right, let's get to work."

Helen and Alan went downstairs to interview Skye and Molly, the victim's daughters.

Xxxxx

"Do you know anything about your father's business trip?"

"No, I knew he was going away, not sure how long for. But I'm studying at Eastvale University, so I'm hardly home." Skye looked at Molly.

"Next Tuesday. He said he would be back next Tuesday." Molly cuddled her young sister.

"She's only eleven , she remembers the simple things."

"What about any other family?"

"If you mean my brother, we haven't heard from him in a year or so. Our father died when we were two. When Mum remarried, he brought me up as his own, but Harry was out of control and she had to give him up. I last saw him in Eastvale market, but he said he was leaving for France, and we haven't seen or heard from him since."

"Right thank you Molly, if we need to talk to you or Skye again..."

"She'll be with me, at the flat until we get stuff sorted."

"Alright, thank you." They stood up and left.

Alan sat in his office, looking at the time, _6:32._ It had been a long afternoon.

He unlocked his phone and rang Tracy.

"Hows Isla?" he asked her.

"She's okay I guess. They're having a bit of trouble with her at school, but she's just missing Brooke."

"Everyone is, I'll see you later." He put the phone down. Helen knocked on the door.

"Where are we with tracing the husband?"

"No joy, we've left voicemails." Alan nodded as his phone started to ring, Annie's name flashing up of the screen. He answered it.

"Hello?" Annie was crying down the phone.

"Alan, please get back here, please." She sobbed.

"Annie? Annie what's happened?"

"I don't know. She stopped breathing, and now they're saying she's in a critical condition because of the blood loss. They've taken her up to intensive care, she's still in the coma, and I just don't know what to do!"

Alan's heart sank as tears started welling up in his eyes.

"Right. I'm coming now. Just hang on, I'll be there soon." Alan quietly responded.

Once he'd put the phone down, he stood up abruptly and started walking towards the door.

"Helen, I'm putting you as acting SIO, I've got to go."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No, just come in tomorrow as if its your case. I've got to go to the hospital, it's Brooke." He left, not knowing what would hit him when he arrived there.

Xxxxxx

He walked at a quick pace to find out where Brooke now was.

"Hello, I'm looking for a child, Brooke Cabbot?" Alan asked the lady at the desk. She began searching her computer.

"Yes, she is in the ICU, it's room 5. Just follow the signs," she replied in a voice that could not sound more bored.

"Thanks." Alan began to follow the signs and the directions he was given until he arrived at a brightly coloured area, and quickly found his way to the unit. He looked through the window of the room where Brooke was lying. He gently opened the door and went in. When he first saw Brooke hooked up to so many tubes, he began to silently sob. Annie fell into his arms, tears falling violently down her face. He held her, comforting her as best he could.

"What happened?" Annie shook her head.

"The machine just suddenly went down, and the alarm went off. I wasn't allowed in, they had to resuscitate her Alan." He pulled her close to his chest, but started to cry himself. After a few moments had gone by, Annie went and sat down taking Brooke's bruised, swollen hand in hers, and Alan quickly left the room deciding to call Tracy, letting her know what had happened, but not to come, or bring Isla to the hospital to visit Brooke. Even though the more people here with her might help her recover, he couldn't risk what visions it would create in young Isla's mind, the way her sister looked right now.

Dr Kingston soon walked in.

"Mr Banks, Miss Cabbot..." They both didn't want not ask, but they also both knew they would have to sometime, and others would be wondering as well.

"How is she?"

"Brooke's condition has changed drastically. She was in a stable condition, but unfortunately it has deteriorated, and she is now in a critical state, and I must warn you, you have to be prepared as she may not make it through the night. We think it has been caused from Cerebral Edema, some swelling on her brain. We need to take her for a C.T. scan, as we believe she may also have a bleed."

"I thought internal bleeding was ruled out when she came in."

"We cleared the internal bleed in the abdomen, the impact of ground has mostly likely caused this, not the force of the car, unlike her other bleed."

"Has she got any other injuries?

"A badly sprained wrist, and we have also taken care of tension pneumothorax."

"What is the tension pneumothorax?"

"Basically, part of her lungs were just collecting the air but not working on breathing it out. That is all okay now, but we will need to take her for a scan for her brain as soon as."

"What will happen, if you find anything?"

"If she does have a bleed, surgery will be our most viable option. She may not remember much, and could have brain damage."

"What about this coma she is in?"

"If she comes into a stable enough state, we can attempt to bring her out of the coma, but not until we are sure about what is going on with other injuries. She may even wake up naturally herself." Two nurses came in and began wheeling the bed out of the room.

"We're going to take her for a scan now, then we will bring her back here and give her oxygen, because it could help to reduce the swelling a little bit." Alan sat down in the other chair as the doctor left the room, wheeling out the bed Brooke was in.

He couldn't believe what he had just heard, and how would he tell everyone. A few minutes later, the door opened, and Helen came through.

"Hey, Helen."

"Hi, Alan. Hi Annie. I saw that you had to leave in a hurry. What's going on?" Helen asked as she sat down.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Annie had called and said that Brooke had gotten worse. She has swelling on her brain and went into a cardiac arrest."

"I'm so sorry... where is she now?"

"They have taken her for a scan to check for a bleed in the brain." Annie informed her.

"You're joking! What happens if they find something?"

"They've said surgery would be her most likely option, but she's had so many other complications."

"You can't get in a state, for Mika's sake. Look, after Tracy and Isla arrive, take them home with you. You both need a rest. I'll stay here for a while with Brooke."

"I've told her not to bring Isla, not in the state Brooke's in. We'll wait until she gets back from her scan, then we can go home for a while." Annie looked at him with a worrying glance.

"Alan, I can't, I mean, it could happen again."

"You need rest, I can't have you in hospital as well."

"Just for a few hours?"

"A few hours." Annie nodded in defeat.

Suddenly, the doors opened and Brooke was wheeled back in, just as still as she had been when they took her.

Xxxxxx


	3. Chapter 3

After Brooke was brought back in, Dr Kingston walked in a short time later.

"Hello," he greeted Annie, Alan and Helen.

"Good news! We didn't find any signs of bleeding inside the brain, and the swelling is beginning to go down.

"Oh, that's good!" Alan said while Helen and Dr Kingston smiled at the news.

"So she won't need any surgery?" Alan asked.

"No, not at far as we know."

"Do you know when she will wake up?"

"We will keep her under observation for a few more days, but if she becomes stable enough will will attempt to bring her round, but she is still at a critical stage. But as I've mentioned to you before, she may wake up on her own. However, it is still too early to tell if she will have any long term effects, and I want to keep her on the ventilator for a little while longer."

"Thank you."

Dr Kingston nodded and left the room.

"We'll quickly go home, sort out a few things, then we'll be straight back here."

"you both need to get some rest. Annie, you've been up here with Brooke with every minute you can get. Alan, you've been working to the limit with this case."

"I want to find out who did this, and who exactly put Brooke here in the first place."

"We still don't know if the two crimes are connected."

"They will be, it's no coincidence that they happened within a small distance away from each other. We'll be back within the next two hours."

"Please call me as soon as you receive any updates." Annie pleaded.

"Okay," Helen said as she nodded her head understandably. Annie stood up slowly, kissing the top of her daughters head. She turned back to look, before they both left reluctantly, and Helen sat down in the chair at Brooke's bedside.

Xxxxxx

Because of the peak hour traffic, they arrived home 45 minutes after they had left.

"Hello? Tracy?" Alan spoke as he walked into his home.

"Hey dad!" Tracy ran up to her father and hugged him like she used to as a child. She then hugged Annie as he came through the front door.

"How are you?"

"I'll be fine, I need to focus on Brooke for now. But thanks, for all you've done for Isla." Tracy smiled a little. Annie had become more like a friend, as well as her step-mum. Things with Tracy's mum Sandra had become strained, especially now that Tracy had moved down to Yorkshire for good, and much preferred being around her dad's new family. Annie left and went upstairs, while Tracy and Alan went through into the open plan living space.

"I haven't seen you all day, how's everything going with Brooke?" Tracy asked.

"I don't even know. She gets better, then she gets worse and they tell us that she might not make it through the night and I don't even know, I'm so exhausted...wait, where's Isla?"

"She's look exhausted and you shouldn't be worrying about this case as well. Go and take a nap, dad." Tracy instructed.

"I guess you're right," Alan replied as he stood up to walk to his room.

"Oh, and here's my phone. Answer if it's Helen calling, and wake me in three hours. We need to get back to the hospital as soon as." He left to get some rest. When he walked into his and Annie's room he saw her laying in the darkness, asleep, but holding Brooke's bear she had recently bought her. He laid down in the bed next to her, and when he next woke up he looked over at his clock and realised it was the next day. He woke Annie, and quickly got ready and rushed downstairs. Annie threw on some jeans and at shirt, then her grey hoodie on top. She went to check on Isla, who was still 'sparko' then made her way into Brooke's newly decorated room.

When Alan got downstairs Tracy was sat at the table working. It was easier for her as she was working from home.

"What happened to waking me up within three hours? I'm meant to be up and at the hospital before work!"

"Look dad, I know your worried about Brooke, everyone is. But you can't continue the way you were, what good would you have been to Brooke then? And Annie, she's still recovering from her stabbing, she needed the rest." Alan sighed.

"Any word from Helen?" Tracy shook her head and continued to eat her toast.

"I'm gonna head off, go to the hospital. She nodded. Alan grabbed his phone off the side; it wouldn't switch on.

"There's been no word from Helen because this is dead." Alan voiced angrily. He shouted Annie, and they both rushed off to be with Brooke as much and as fast as possible, Alan taking his phone and charger with him in case any new information came up.

The front door slammed shut and the car engine could be heard out in the drive.

Xxxxxx

At the hospital, their pace was fast as he walked down the corridors. When they arrived, their hopes of Brooke being on the road to recovery were dashed. Helen was stood outside the door to the room where Brooke was.

"Helen?" She looked up, putting her phone away.

"Where've you been?! I've been trying to ring you. I only left her for a minute..."

"Why? What's happened?" Annie asked, running to the window of the room. Helen looked towards the small window, as if _she_ were to cry. Annie looked through, to see the sight of many doctors and surgeons around Brooke, trying to resuscitate her.

"Oh my god!" Annie exclaimed. She pushed past Helen as she ran into the room.

"Brooke! Brooke, please wake up. You'll be okay. I'm here."

"Miss Cabbot, please step outside and let the doctors do their work," a nurse instructed.

"She's my daughter! I can't leave her in here alone..."

"I understand that, but you need to stay calm. They're doing everything they can to resuscitate her. Remember, she can sense how you feel," the nurse told Annie as she directed her outside the room back to Alan.

"We will notify you as soon as anything happens," she said before she walked back in.

Alan sat with Annie, cradling her. before he began to speak.

"Helen. I don't know what we would have done without you. Thank you for being here for so long."

"You're welcome. I can't bear to think of losing her too," Helen said.

"You're probably really exhausted by now. You can go home if you like. We can handle it from here."

Helen was quick to stubbornly reply. "No, no, no! I'm not going until I know that her heart is beating perfectly again and her lungs are doing their job properly."

The agonizing four minutes felt more like years before Dr Kingston came out to give an update. They stood up as soon as they saw him, Annie still in Alan's arms. They needed to know the outcome.

"We've managed to stabilise her heart rate, but Brooke is still in a very, very dangerous position. Also, I need to discuss an observation with you," the doctor stated while he was watching Alan's facial expression change from depressed and uncertain, to relieved, to confused.

"Thank you so much for saving her. What do we need to discuss?"

"We have noticed some cuts on Brooke's wrist. I am assuming they are self inflicted, because there is no possible way a hit-and-run car crash can cause these." Dr Kingston began leading them back into Brooke's room and showed them her cuts.

"We have considered letting social services know, but as always, we ask patients relatives first."

Helen began to speak before either Alan or Annie could.

"Doctor, I know about these. It's down to a bullying situation at the school."

Alan was furious. "What..? Didn't you ever think to tell me?! How long have you known? Why didn't she come to us!"

Helen cut him off. "we will discuss this later."

"You bet we will. Doctor, you have no reason to be worried. We are in the middle of dealing with the bullying at her school. I just didn't know it was so bad she was hurting herself..."

Dr Kingston understood and nodded. "Very well. I will leave you now. Call me if you think she needs assistance again."

As soon as he left the room and was out of earshot, Helen and Alan began to argue.

"Can you please tell me what the hell that was all about?! How could you hide that she was harming herself?! What made you want to get involved with my family?! I thought I trusted you-"

Helen interrupted him.

"You have to understand that I was doing this to protect everyone! I knew it was Brooke's place to tell you, but she didn't get chance to."

Alan paused for a minute and turned to look at Brooke. Helen's words began to sink in.

"Okay," Alan began.

"When Brooke wakes up, we will discuss this further, but for now, I think I understand. Remember-this is not over yet."

"I don't see why it isn't over. I told Brooke she had to tell you."

"This is not the end of this, Helen!"

"Leave it!" Annie shouted tearfully.

"Helen's right, Brooke needed to tell us not anyone else. But right now this state is what we need to be focused on, not who didn't tell someone something else. Brooke's recovery needs to be the focus, not the past." Annie collapsed back in her chair, holding Brooke's hand. She felt dizzy, and faint.

Helen's phone began to ring.

"Ken, any breakthroughs?"

"The husbands back in the country, he's driven up from Hull Docks. But you're needed over at the PM."

"Right, I'm on my way." She put her phone away.

"We've got to go." Alan looked over at Brooke and Annie.

"Right, will you be okay?" He asked Annie. She nodded.

Helen and Alan both left the room, while Annie remained sat in the chair.

Xxxxxxx


	4. Chapter 4

Arriving at the mortuary, Alan still couldn't believe what he had heard about Brooke. The pathologist came out,

"Sorry to have kept you waiting this long. Come on through." The body lay on the cold silver table.

Louise Hunt had naturally blonde hair. Not as blond as Annie's was, but enough to remind Alan and Helen that Annie nearly once lay there too.

"Cause of death, a subdural haematoma, from a blunt force trauma. As you can see, the force was strong, which is why the rear side of her skull has caved in."

"Any weapon?"

"I would say that no weapon was involved, a pair of hands has caused the amount of damage, an attack of rage, enough strength to account for this wound. I would say the killer grabbed her head here." He pointed around the top of the head,

"And then forced her head into the wall, before she fell to the ground."

"Right," Alan replied,

"Did you find any traces of DNA?"

"Yes. Under her fingernails, there were skin cells and they're off to the lab for analysis. On her head, the attacker seemed to have nails long or broken enough to have left scratches on head where she was grabbed. Everything has been sent to the lab."

Helen nodded as she said, "Thank you. If you find anything else, please let us know."

Xxxxxx

Back at the station, Alan set up his board with the photos and names of the victim and her family.

"Right. Louise Hunt is our victim. She seemed to have been killed by a blunt force trauma, leading to a brain bleed. There was no weapon, just the attackers bare hands."

He pointed to a photo of Louise's husband. "Her husband, Tom, has returned from his trip, so we need to go and visit him. I'm sure Skye has already told him everything, but we should find out more. Louise's children have already been interviewed and are staying at the eldest daughter's student flat in the centre of Eastvale."

Ken raised his hand with a question.

"Yes, Ken?"

"What about the vehicle?"

"Ah yes. The Greenmans-the neighbours-reported seeing a silver Audi. Apparently it looked new, so we will chase that up. Also, Louise has a stepson. We're not sure where he is at the moment so we will be asking Tom later. Thanks everyone." Alan returned to his office, where an email had come through while he had done the brief. It wasn't news he had been hoping for; there was no chance of getting a match to the skin cells until tomorrow. There was also a confirmation email that the missing stepson was still in France, and had been since the dates Molly Hunt had given them, so that meant one suspect was ruled off their list. There was a knock at the door. Ken came in with some camera footage photos.

"Boss, one of the houses has CCTV that covers the road from their house. It gave us a clear picture and a partial number plate. ANPR are putting a trace on it now, and being an Audi it may narrow down search. Also, Louise's work, would you like us to go over it?" Alan nodded.

"Do we have any idea on where she worked?"

"We're going to speak to her husband."

"I'll head over there now." He grabbed his coat and left with Helen to drive into the centre of Eastvale.

Xxxxxxx

The flat was newly built, and upgraded modern with a large open plan kitchen diner and living space, more like a family flat then a student one.

"Mr Hunt, thank you for agreeing to talk to us. We are just going to ask you a few routine questions, just to get a better background. Just quickly, through Molly, you mentioned you were away quite a bit, why were you round at your neighbours?"

"My shift at work was cancelled, I had the rest of the day free, I went round to see mum, but she wanted some time to get the house sorted so I went to see Skye instead."

"Right, Mr Hunt, where did your wife work?"

"A solicitors firm, in the centre of Leeds."

"Did she ever mention anything, any problems there?"

"She did want to leave, I remember that pretty well, she had issued a complaint against one of the senior team, but I can't remember the name. It was all a long time ago."

"Was there anything unusual, any unexpected visitors, or any known enemies you may have made?"

"No, I'm sorry Mr Banks, I really can't help you."

"Alright, thank you for your time." Both Alan and Helen stood up and left. Once back in the car and driving, Alan began to speak.

"The crimes must be connected somehow, they must be."

"Alan, your getting too wrapped up in the coincidence timeline, your instinct can't always be right."

"But what if they are, what then? What about Brooke , what is her life going to be like if she ever wakes up? She could have long lasting effects, what's going to happen to the quality of her life then? What if she can't even remember? The memories or about Annie? What happens then?!"

"You need to be with her. After we get back to the station, go to the hospital," Helen replied.

Once they were back in the station, Alan gathered the team around.

"I know what events have happened in recent days, and I want you all to know that our priority should be this case. I would like to quickly thank you all for being so concerned about Brooke's, and for your support, I know how much Annie would be grateful if she were here to say these words herself. At this moment, I cannot give any amount of certainty on Brooke's state, you may know that it has been touch and go, and that's all I know right now. So we are going to call it a night, and tomorrow we will come back, and work on this case, and if the two crimes are in anyway connected, we will catch and put away whoever put Annie's daughter in hospital. She's not just our colleague, she's our friend, and we all know if nothing how persistent she is. She is ruthless, amoral, ambitious, a team player, and she would stop at nothing to protect her own, as we do ours, so let's do her proud." Alan left in a hurry after his short speech, so that he could be with Annie and Brooke, and also to hide the emotion that he felt: the sadness on how much Annie really did mean to him. He began to drive over to the hospital, but could he really handle the responsibility if anything were to happen?

Xxxxxxx

Over at the pub, the team gathered around a table, all with a drink chatting about the events, but Helen silently slipped out the door and walked to her car, and began to also drive to the hospital.

Xxxxx

When she arrived, Alan was sat, silently crying at Brooke's bedside, while Annie was lent over, head by the side of Brooke. For slight painful moment she assumed the worse, but when she walked through, the machines were still beeping, showing the fight Brooke still had left in her. Alan looked up as the door shut,

"Helen, shouldn't you be at home? You were up here all last night."

"I'll be fine."

She thought she saw some movement but put it all down to a trick of the eye, on how much she was hoping for Brooke. Annie had hold of Brooke's hand, a cannula in the centre.

"How is she?"

"They said the swelling has gone down, they've taken her off the ventilator so she's breathing for herself."

I just don't think I could handle the heartbreak..." Annie's sentence broke off, as she focused her eyes on Brooke's hand. It wasn't just their imagination, her hand began twitching.

"Get a doctor, quickly." Helen poked her head out the door and signalled for a doctor to come, then she went and stood at the side of Brooke. Alan wiped his eyes, and a small smile on both their faces slowly appeared as her eyes began to flicker, and she began to slowly wake up. It was a few seconds before Brooke made eye contact with the people in the room. For about thirty seconds, her eyes were open and scanning her surroundings silently, but she was awake, and that was a moment that they had been hoping for.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a good nights sleep for everyone, including Brooke, and she seemed to be showing signs of improvement. Annie had been up at the hospital all night, and both Alan and Helen came back the following morning.

When they returned, Brooke was propped up, staring into space with her eyes open and not blinking, but physically looking more human than she had been. Many of the tubes had gone, but she still was attached to a heart monitor and a drip. She had some visible injuries, mostly to her face. A sharp graze trailing down the right side, and a couple of stitches towards the top of her forehead, covered by some white medical tape. A bandage also covered her left hand where the cannula was. Annie was slouched over, her eyes gently shut and in a deep sleep. Helen put the drinks down and Alan shook Annie to wake him.

"Annie! Wake up!" He softly yelled.

"Hm? What's going on?" She turned and gently Brooke on her left shoulder to wake her from her daze. She hadn't said anything last night after she began to wake, so everybody was hoping she would have made a difference that morning. Helen sat down in the opposite chair.

"Brooke? It's me, mum. Can you hear me? I know this must be overwhelming for you, so just let me know if you understand what I'm saying."

Brooke slowly turned her head in Annie's direction and nodded before she spoke her first words in a while.

"Y-yes. H-hi mum..."

Annie smiled, and sighed in relief at the thought that there was probably no permanent brain damage. Brooke remembered, and that's all that mattered to her in that moment.

"How are you feeling? How's the pain?" Alan questioned.

"It hurts a bit, mainly in my stomach," she quietly said. There were stitches from where they had stopped the internal bleeding, which would probably scar. Brooke sighed,

"When can I go home?" Alan and Annie looked at each other,

"We don't exactly know yet Brooke." She went back to starring into space, and went silent. They needed to know what the doctor would say. After calling for him, Dr Kingston came in pretty quickly, but Brooke stayed silent the whole time.

"How is she?"

"Her organs are all functioning well, including her brain. It didn't take such a large part of the force as we first thought. She may have some slight headaches, possibly due to being concussed. The main pain will probably be consistent with the injuries to her ribs, maybe her lungs. Some medication will be prescribed to ease the pain, but I would say she is improving very well. I would like to keep her in for observations tonight. Seeing as she has improved so fast, we will probably be able to discharge her tomorrow morning. She is extremely lucky, especially at the speed she was hit." Alan nodded his head at the good news.

"Thank you for everything you and your team have done." Dr Kingston nodded in appreciation, and left the room. Annie took Brooke's hand,

"What's wrong, Brooke?"

"The situation..." she quietly spoke, a saddened tone to her voice. Alan stood up and walked out the room to speak to the doctor again.

"Excuse me, Doctor. Is there anyway she could get some air for a while, she's been in that room for ages, it might do her some good."

"Well, Mr Banks, a couple of nurses are going to take the cannula out her hand now, so I think she could. I'll get one of the nurses to get a wheelchair." Alan nodded and went back into the room. A couple of nurses came in to remove the cannula from Brooke's hand. She turned her head away in agony, holding in her scream. They quickly changed the bandage and left with the trolley of equipment, then one quickly came back, parked a wheelchair in the corner of the room, and left again.

"Can you take her outside for a bit, while I make some calls?" Helen nodded at Alan's request.

"I am here, you know," Brooke pointed out. Helen stood up and brought the wheelchair over to the bed. Brooke carefully made her way out of the hospital bed and sat down in the wheelchair, still holding the small teddy bear like a young child. She helped Brooke put on a coat over the hospital gown to keep her warm, then they left the room. Once they were out of sight, Alan got out his phone and dialled home.

"Hey, Tracy? It's dad."

"Oh, hi dad. How's everything going?"

"Very well, actually. They've said Brooke can probably come home tomorrow. Helen's just taken her outside for some fresh air. I couldn't be happier."

Tracy sensed a smile on her dads face. She smiled too because she hadn't heard her dads 'happy voice' in a while.

"How's everything at home? And how's Isla?"

Tracy went silent for a few seconds.

"I have to tell you something. I didn't want to panic Annie."

"Go on..."

"It's just, Ken rang, he couldn't get hold of you. David's out."

Alan's heart dropped.

"It's not possible?" Alan said.

"Lack of evidence. Even after everything he did..."

"Take Isla with you to the station, you'll be safe there. And don't leave!" He out the phone down.

"What's going on?" Annie asked.

"David... he's out." Annie sat on the hospital bed in shock.

"No, he can't be. There must be some confusion." Alan shook his head.

"Alan." Annie said his name. He took hold of her hands.

"What is is?"

"Brooke..." Alan realised, even if he didn't have clear evidence yet. He frantically left the room, and ran outdoors.

Outside in the bright, colourful gardens, Brooke was breathing in the wonderful smells of nature and admiring what she had been deprived of over the last week or so. Few words were exchanged between her and Helen while she was being pushed in the wheelchair. Both Helen and Brooke were in their own worlds in their minds. Helen put the brakes on the wheelchair and sat down on one of the benches. Many thoughts were going through Helens mind, most to do with Brooke's mental health condition.

"I've missed it out here," Brooke told her.

"What's going to happen when I leave here?"

Helen explained to Brooke about how she would seek professional help for her, but until then, it was best to keep Brooke home from school.

As they were gazing at tulips and thorny roses, Helen reflected on the whole 'Brooke adventure', something she thought she would never come across. They sat there for a few minutes, the mild breeze whirling round, before Brooke broke the silence.

"What's mum been like?" Helen knew this was a question that she should've asked Alan, after all, he knew Annie better then anyone.

"She's been out of her mind worrying about you."

Alan came running round the corner , relieved that he had found them both.

"What's wrong?" Helen asked him. They stood a few metres away from Brooke, so she couldn't hear what they were saying.

"We need to get Brooke back upstairs, it's not safe for her out here."

"Why?"

"The person that did this, it's going to be one of the first places they'll think to look, try and finish the job. I've been on the phone to Tracy she told me about something, I'm going to wait until the forensics report gets back to me. I'm going to head back, get this investigation fully up and running. I need you, I think your gonna want to be in this interview with out suspect as much as me."

"Who do you think it is?"

"David Hornby." The name made Alan's blood boil.

"I thought he was in prison."

"Lack of evidence." He then walked over to Brooke.

"I've got to go somewhere."

"Where are you going?" Brooke spoke in a pleading manner.

"I've just got to go somewhere, I promise I'll be back as soon as." He walked towards his car while Helen took Brooke back to the hospital room, and then left to join Alan in helping to find their suspect.

Xxxxxxx


End file.
